Cattle bunk feeder filler



S. W. KNIGHT CATTLE BUNK FEEDER FILLER April 9, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed April 24, 1958 INVENTOR STANLEY W. KNIGHT ATTORNEYS April 9, 1963s. w. KNIGHT CATTLE BUNK FEEDER FILLER 4 SheetsSheet 2 Filed April 24,1958 INVENTOR STANLEY W.KNIGHT ATTORNEYS A ril 9, 1963 s. w. KNIGHTCATTLE BUNK FEEDER FILLER 4 Sheet 5 3 Filed Ap i 1958 .INVENTOR STANLEYw. KNIGHT BY Y 192/4 TORNEYS April 9, 1963 s. w. KNIGHT CATTLE BUNKFEEDER FILLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 24, 1958 INVENTOR STAN LEY'W. KNIG HT ATTORNEYS 3,084,821 CATTLE BUNK FEEDER FILLER Stanley W.Knight, Brodhead, Wis. Filed Apr. 24, 1953, Ser. No. 730,576 2 Claims.(61. 214519) This invention appertains to vehicles for hauling materialfrom one point to another, and for conveniently delivering such materialwhen the point of use is reached, and more particularly to a novelmobile cattle bunk feeder and silo filler.

In the hauling and delivering of cattle feed, much difficulty isencountered. The green feed becomes compressed while being hauled andwhen the point of delivery is reached and the feed is moved forward inthe wagon box by the longitudinal conveyor, the feed is compressed to agreater extent. The silage packs hard and firm in the box. This requiresthe use of high speed heaters to break up the silage for delivery and inmany instances, the conveyors, heaters etc. break down under the strain.

It is one of the primary objects of my invention to provide a novelmeans, i.e., an expansion chamber forming a part of the hauling vehiclefor permitting the expansion of the feed and the decompression thereofas the same reaches the heaters and the transverse conveyor employed formoving the material out of the box to the bunk feeder or silo as thecase may be, whereby the material can be conveniently handled withoutundue load or strain on the operating mechanism.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of a cattlebunk feeder filler embodying a running gear having an expansion chamberor body thereon at the forward end thereof, the running gear receivingand supporting a desired type of wagon box for abutting engagement withthe expansion chamber or body, the chamber or body being of a greaterwidth than the box to form the desired decompression area for the feed.

Another salient object of my invention is the provision of a bunk orsilo filler embodying a running gear for connection with a pullingvehicle such as a tractor, the running gear having mounted thereon andforming a part thereof, an expansion chamber provided with a novelarrangement of heaters and transverse conveyors for convenientlyremoving the feed from a wagon box of a desired character associatedwith the running gear, the running gear and expansion chamber forming acomplete unit of manufacture so that farmers, if they so desire, canassociate with the running gear and the expansion chamber a desired typeof wagon box that may bepreferred by the farmers.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel andsimple arrangement of operating parts associated with the running gearand chamber whereby such parts can be conveniently operated from a powertakeofi shaft leading from the tractor or pulling vehicle.

A still further important object of my invention is the provision of adevice of the above character, which will be exceptionally strong anddurable in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture and onewhich can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved vehicle looking from thefront showing the running gear, expansion chamber and parts of theoperating mechanism;

3,084,821 Patented Apr. 9, 1963 FIGURE 2. is a similar perspective view,but looking from the rear of the vehicle;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view looking from the front but from theopposite side from FIGURE 1, and showing a wagon box attached to therunning gear and the expansion chamber, and FIGURE 4 is a fragmentarylongitudinal sectional view through the front of the vehicle with thebox mounted thereon, the section being taken on the line 4-4 of FIG- URE5, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary detail horizontal sectional view takensubstantially on the lines 55 of FIGURES 3 and 4, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the letter V generally indicates the improved vehicle and the sameembodies a running gear 10.

The running gear 10 can actually be of any desired type or character,and as illustrated the same includes front and rear bolsters 11 and 12rotatably supporting front and rear ground wheels 13 and 14. Firmly andrigidly secured to the bolsters 11 and 12 are longitudinally extendingframe beams 15 and these beams are in turn united by transverselyextending cross-brace beams 16. The extreme forward end of the runninggear carries the expansion chamber 17, which forms an important part ofthe present invention. Also, in accordance with the invention therunning gear is provided in rear of the expansion chamber 17 withupright stakes 18 and hori zontal seats 19, for a purpose, which willnow appear.

Associated with the running gear 10 in rear of the expansion chamber 17is the Wagon box 20. The wagon box can take various forms and asillustrated the same is of the barge type and hence includes straightparallel side walls 21, reinforced in any desired manner. The box 21 issupported upon sub-longitudinally extending sills or beams 22 and thesesills or beams form a part of the wagon box. The box extends at leastthe full length of the running gear and abuts the chamber 17, as will belater brought out. The box is of the type embodying a longitudinallyextending conveyor 23 and the top flight of the conveyor travels overthe bed 24 of the wagon box. This conveyor extends forward of the boxand into the bottom of the chamber 17, as best shown in FIGURE 4, for apurpose which will now appear. The conveyor 23 travels over frontsprocket wheels 25 secured to a trans- .versely extending drive shaft'26 rotatably mounted in suit able bearings carried by the forward endsof the side walls 21 of the box. The forward end of one side wall 21rotatably carries a transversely extending operating shaft 27 having adriving connection preferably through a worm and worm wheel with theshaft 26 (see FIG- URE 4). The worm wheel is keyed or otherwise securedto the shaft 26. The shaft 27 is provided with a sprocket wheel 28 andthe sprocket wheel can be clutched to the shaft 27 by a hand operatedclutch mechanism 29. The shaft 27 is driven through sprocket 28 bymeans, which will be later set forth.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, the chamber 17 is provided with a cut outportion 30 into which the drive mechanism just described fits. Thesub-sills or beams 22 of the Wagon body fit snug on the horizontal seats19 and the stakes 18 engage the sides of the sub-sills and the stakesand the sub-sills are rigidly secured together in any desired way, suchas by the use of bolts.

The forward end of the running gear carries a suitable tongue 31 forconnection with a tractor or other pulling vehicle, not shown. At thispoint, it is to be also noted that the lower end of the chamber 17 atits front portion is provided with a main drive shaft 32 to which iscoupled a power takeoff shaft 33 leading from the tractor.

The chamber 17 extends transversely across the running gear and isfirmly and rigidly united therewith and includes a front wall 34 andside walls 35 and 36. These walls can be united by a floor 37. The rearedges of the side walls 35 and 36 are provided with inturned flanges 36,and the lower ends of these flanges carry a transversely extendingupright guard plate 38. This plate 38 in effect forms a partial rearwall for the chamber and the floor 37, as best shown in FIGURE 4, isalso connected to this plate. As also best shown in FIGURE 4, thelongitudinal conveyor 23 extends into the chamber and partially over atransverse conveyor 39 carried by the bottom of the chamber. The upperflight of the conveyor 39 travels over the floor 37.

The wall 35 is provided with an outlet opening 40 for the silage and theconveyor 39 receives the silage from the longitudinal conveyor 23 andmoves the silage toward and through the opening 40. Where the vehicle isbeing used as a silo filler, the material empties directly out of thevehicle into a blower utilized for filling the silo. When the vehicle isbeing used for filling cattle feeder bunks, a chute (not shown) isattached to the chamber and the chute is in turn provided with aconveyor for conducting the material to the bunk. The chute conveyor canbe driven from the mechanism carried by the chamber and the chute israised and lowered and held at different angles by a hand winch (notshown). The transverse conveyor 39 travels over sprocket wheels 41carried by an operating shaft 42' and this shaft is carried by thechamber immediately below the opening 40. The forward endof the shaft 42has keyed, or'other-wise secured thereto, a sprocket wheel 42, and thissprocket wheel is driven from a chain 43 which isin' turn trained abouta sprocket wheel 43' keyed or otherwise secured to the main drive shaft32. This shaft also has keyed thereto a second sprocket wheel 32, for apurpose which will later appear.

Mounted in the chamber 17 above the transverse conveyor 39 and thelongitudinal conveyor 23, are upper and lower beaters 44- and 45. Thesebeaters are carried respectively by shafts 46 and 47. These shafts arerotatably mounted in bearings carried by the end walls 35 and 36. Eachbeaters has firmly secured thereto radially extending teeth 48 forengaging and breaking up the silage. The lower beater shaft 47 is drivenfrom a countershaft 49, rotatably mounted in bearings on the end wall 36and this shaft is driven from a sprocket chain 50, which is trainedabout the sprocket wheel 32. This chain 50' is trained about a sprocketwheel 51 keyed to the countershaft 49. The shaft 49 drives the lowerbeater 45 through a speed reducing mechanism 52' and the same includes aworm and worm wheel. This is the same mechanism employed for driving thelongitudinal conveyor from the shaft 27. The shaft 49 extends rearwardlyof the chamber 17 and has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a sprocketwheel 52. The sprocket chain 53 is trained about sprocket wheel 52 andabout the sprocket wheel 28 carried by the shaft 27. The upper beater 44is driven from the lower beater, as is best shown in FIGURE 3. Hence,the lower beater shaft 47 at its end opposite from the drive 52, haskeyed thereto a sprocket wheel 54. The upper beater shaft 46, has keyedthereto a similar sprocket wheel 55 and these sprocket wheels 54 and 55have trained thereabout a drive sprocket chain 56. All of the sprocketchains are provided with a slack takeup mechanism of any preferredcharacter.

Now referring to the connection of the box 20 with the chamber 17, itcan be seen that the forward end of the box can be provided withvertically extending angle irons or the like 57. These angle irons arefirmly secured to the front edges of the side walls 21 of the box andthe angle, irons 57 are in turn securely bolted to the inturned flanges36' carried by the walls 35 and 36 of the chamber. Thus, the box notonly is firmly united with the running gear, but with the chamberitself. By referring to FIG- URES 3 and 5, it can be seen that the boxis of considerably less width than the chamber and consequently thechamber extends a material distance beyond the sides of the box. This isone of the features of the invention as heretofore set forth.

Considering that the packed feed is being moved toward and into thechamber 17, it is obvious that as it reaches the chamber that the sameis allowed to expand. Thus, the chamber functions as a decompressionbody and as the feed expands the same can be easily pulled apart by theupper and lower beaters. As the material is expanding the beaters havematerially less Work to do and consequently, the beaters can be run at alow rate of speed. In actual practice, the lower beater 45 travelstwenty percent faster than the upper beater 44. The running of thebeaters at a low speed permits the same to act effectively on the feedto break up the same, and

hence, the feed can be easily carried by the transverse conveyor 39 outof the chamber.

Great stress is laid on the combination of the running gear and theexpansion chamber with all of the operating mechanism carried directlyby the chamber and the running gear. Thus, after the box Zil' isassociated with the running gear, it is merely necessary to place thesprocket chain 53 in its operative position around the sprocket wheels28 and 52. When this is done, the vehicle is ready for use.

Various changes in details may be made without departing from the spiritor the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

l. A self-unloading vehicle for use in connection with a wagon boxhaving a power driven conveyor for moving material toward an openforward end of the box comprising a running gear, a transverselyextending body on the forward end of the running gear into which thematerial from the box is dumped and means in said body located at theend of and below said conveyor for receiving material dumped therefromand for conveying the dumped material to one end of the body and out ofthe body, said body having a substantially greater length than the Widthof the box and projecting a material distance beyond the opposite sidesof the box and constituting an expansion chamber for the material.

2. A self-unloading vehicle for use in connection with a wagon boxhaving a power driven conveyor for moving material toward an openforward end of the box comprising a running gear, a transverselyextending body on the forward end of the running gear into which thematerial from the box is, dumped, said body including a front wall andend walls, the rear end of the body being open to receive the box andthe forward end of the power driven conveyor, one end wall of said bodyhaving an outlet opening adjacent to its lower end and means in saidbody located at the forward end of and below said power driven conveyorfor receiving material from said conveyor and for conveying the dumpedmaterial to and out of said opening, said body having a substantiallygreater length than the width of the box and extending a materialdistance beyond the opposite sides of the box and constituting anexpansion chamber for the material.

Wolfe Apr. 20, 1954 Hansen Dec. 4, 1956

1. A SELF-UNLOADING VEHICLE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH A WAGON BOXHAVING A POWER DRIVEN CONVEYOR FOR MOVING MATERIAL TOWARD AN OPENFORWARD END OF THE BOX COMPRISING A RUNNING GEAR, A TRANSVERSELYEXTENDING BODY ON THE FORWARD END OF THE RUNNING GEAR INTO WHICH THEMATERIAL FROM THE BOX IS DUMPED AND MEANS IN SAID BODY LOCATED AT THEEND OF AND BELOW SAID CONVEYOR FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL DUMPED THEREFROMAND FOR CONVEYING THE DUMPED MATERIAL TO ONE END OF THE BODY AND OUT OFTHE BODY, SAID BODY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER LENGTH THAN THE WIDTHOF THE BOX AND PROJECTING A MATERIAL DISTANCE BEYOND THE OPPOSITE SIDESOF THE BOX AND CONSTITUTING AN EXPANSION CHAMBER FOR THE MATERIAL.